Michael Vincent Waller – Five Easy Pieces 7.4

“Five Easy Pieces” employ tension to great effect. Michael Vincent Waller has written
incredibly moody music. Over the course of the five easy pieces the silent
treatment is used liberally. The music is pure anticipation. By allowing such deliberate
rhythm nothing finds itself fully resolved. Left to chance the piano pieces
manage to conjure up unusual geographies. Even the incredible focus on a single
instrument helps to add to the overall feeling that the music wants to dominate
without interruption.

The
earnest “L’anno del Serpente” starts off the collection quite nicely.
Incredibly clean it moves slowly lingering over every note. When it finally
ends it sounds almost defeated. Considering how the title translates into “the
year of the snake” perhaps it is good that it feels vanquished. On “Ninna Nanna”
there is an unbelievable calm. Static in nature the reveal of slight change
rests in the marginally different emphasis. Very subtle it is quite a
meditative piece. Duo pieces of “Per Terry e Morty” parts I and II reflect a
level of uncertainity. For the first half of the piece the piano sounds
unsteady as if in a balancing act. Gradually it begins to fade away allowing
for the latter half to take over. Part II is considerably angrier in tone. Here
the music finally gains a bit of a temper.

“Acqua
Santa” or “Holy Water” finishes up the collection. Silence takes up a vast
majority of the piece. Much of the song’s power comes from its ability to
simply let the decay rule. “Five Easy Pieces” is certainly not easy but it is
quite beautiful.